{Beauty Tuesday} Put A Smile On Your Face

       My go-to movie whenever I have a group of friends over is Hitch. It's also the first flick I turn to when I've had an especially rough day and I'm tossing and turning at 2 A.M. I've probably watched it a solid 17 times, and the number will continue to increase all the days of my weary young life. There's no doubt in my mind that I drive people crazy when I forget to restrain myself from whispering every line along with the script, but as well as I know the film it won't ever grow tiresome. To begin the movie, Will Smith's voice narrates spot-on expertise to men who are trying to get the girl. He suggests that guys probably oughta find something other than her body or her mouth to pay attention to while she's talking, so that when she stops to ask you a question, you have a better answer than, "I like your mouth."

Brown lipstick works better than chocolate frosting.

         For those of you who have followed this little blog o' mine, you have been given an inkling of how frequently my stupid mouth is commented on. Fur Real Friends, I never even gave my pucker a second glance until one day during my junior year, an art classmate with whom I have shared a relatively tumultuous (though now rather settled) friendship waited until my boyfriend left the room and then sat back, took a good look at me, and spouted that I have "the most gorgeous lips. Every day. It's something about the lip gloss." If you aren't in tune with the various interpersonal norms generally accepted and understood in today's society, let me quickly explain why that made me squirm:

       A) I didn't know the kid very well. We were acquainted, but not to the point where I knew I could rely on him to keep his hands to himself at all times. Of course, this changed when we knew each other better and I trust him with a whole lot now, but still.

       B) He mentioned it out of the blue and made it very clear that his comment was intended to get a rise out of me.

       C) Did you notice the part where I had a boyfriend? And he waited until he was gone to tell me? Is that not ever so slightly out of the ordinary? OH boy. That kid would have really had it in store if said boyfriend had overheard.

Taken for the yearbook when I was voted
"America's Next Top Model." Um...

       In short, it was uncomfortable in every aspect. But as strange as it seemed at the time, it's turned into such a regular compliment that I've become practically accustomed to receiving it from friends of mine. Of course, I'll always be taken aback by strangers, but that's a different story. I related in July 12's "Getting Over You" that lipstick has wound itself around my heart as the best accessory a girl could have, and I'll stand by that through thick and thin. Here's why:

       A) Lips are a beautiful thing. They aid us in speaking, singing, whistling, humming, eating, drinking, smiling, and - ahem, my personal favorite - kissing. On the cheek. They deserve a party!

       B) Colors are just so nice. So nice indeed.

       C) You don't have to have duck lips to wear lipstick, dawg! My great grandmother's lips have faced the inevitably considerable thinning with age, but she never fails to swipe on her favorite cherise shade before she leaves the house. I've seen girls with incredibly full lips wearing a hue that's all too wrong for their complexion, and others with the scantiest pouts that look a hundred times better with a little bit of color. The most important part is finding the right one for you. And trust me, there is one.

       D) Wearing a coat or two of lipstick can be encouraging to young men. You weed out the honorable ones by wearing it on a first date. If he abstains from kissing you, he either gets the picture that he needs to back off or realizes you're not the type to give it all away as quick as you can. If he goes for it regardless, he doesn't give a hoot!

       Last year, I read an article in my beloved ELLE magazine detailing new sheer lipsticks on the market. The great thing about these is that they're not messy and disgusting like many versions adopted in the crazy '80s, but they still hold the iconography of that classy bullet. Lipstick just makes a girl feel like a lady! And I find nothing wrong with that.

My newest shade, Violet Frenzy. Ba-bam.

       The first real lipstick I ever bought was Maybelline's Red Revolution. I've had it for quite some time and still wear it when I need a pick-me-up. Last fall, one of my best friends, James, told me that he finds lipstick gross and attempted to convince me never to wear it again. That week, I set out to find the darkest lipstick I could find at the drugstore and settled for Revlon's Va Va Violet. No, he did not think it was funny. But that tint was the one that really made me love the stuff. Since then, I've found a shade for every mood, every outfit, every scenario. I was even there to witness the triumphant moment that my mother finally discovered her perfect wine red, a Mary Kay in Rich Fig. Oh, I was so proud.

       Girls, you needn't be fanatics. You don't even need to like it. But I would urge you to someday try and find one lipstick that makes you feel phenomenal. And present it to the outside world with confidence and courage! Heck, it could be magenta or sea foam green. Just give it a shot. Then send me a photograph of your smokin' self.

Happy smooching!

...on the cheek...